Head of Estates Strategy and Operating Model

From the design and development of policies to the delivery of services supporting work, welfare, pensions and child maintenance, DWP is the Government’s largest department.

People are at the very heart of what we do. We ensure disabled people can live more independent lives; help tackle poverty and homelessness; provide a financial foundation for a secure old age; and support families ensuring children can fulfil their potential.

DWP has the largest commercial estate in government and our team is committed to being smaller, greener and better – helping people to work, grow and thrive. Our estate provides accommodation for colleagues who support millions of daily customer interactions in Jobcentres and Health Assessment centres, back of house offices delivering frontline services and hub sites housing expertfunctions such as Policy, Finance, Digital and HR.

The DWP Estates function ensures the smooth and efficient operation of this network on a day-to-day basis. We manage a private sector supply chain that delivers essential services such as security guarding, maintenance, property and leasehold, construction, cleaning and facilities management. Many of these services are business critical and we cannot safely open our offices without them.

Our ambitions are to:

• Transition to a smaller, more affordable, and adaptable estate
• Invest in improving DWP’s buildings and infrastructure, conducted mainly through an extensive programme of planned replacement works
• Meet our agreed Government Greening Commitments - creating a culture where sustainability is embedded
• Expertly deliver cost effective services
• Create a professional working culture that is best in class across the Government Property world.

There is no better time to join us as we transform our estate and make our buildings fit for the future.

Based in The Strategic Alignment and Business Oversight Function, this role will provide you with a unique opportunity to shape the future of the DWP Estates organisation, as we move towards the next SR. Linking with our cross-department and cross-government priorities and engaging at senior levels with stakeholders and subject matter experts within the Department, Government and externally.

You will be responsible for developing, maintaining and assessing the next generation of the Estates Operating Model to 2030, working across the department and with contracted experts to understand the future context, design principles, opportunities, and practicalities, developing and agreeing options for future organisation design.

Key Accountabilities

• Responsible for the ongoing development and review of the Estates Strategy narrative. This includes strategic ambitions, strategic shifts, and regular maturity assessments of critical estates enablers to ensure the vision continues to be achieved – up to 2030.
• Accountable for the collaborative development and agreement of the future design of the Estates Operating Model, having regard to the strategic and organisational context and working in partnership with consultancy and other subject matter experts to agree core assumptions, principles, design, and interdependencies – including with the re-procurement of Workplace Services.
• As Head of strategic planning, have oversight of the progress of critical enablers (such as a CAFM system) - where needed, collaborating with owners and subject matter experts including project managers, to ensure continued alignment with Estates and Departmental Strategies and Estates Operating Model.
• Developing and maintaining clarity around roles and accountabilities within a complex organisational and contractual structure, with experience of using RACI models to support this (as part of Operating Model iteration).
• Plan and scope the approach to design, communications, engagement, and implementation, determining and securing resources to support this – both internally and by use of contracted partners.
• Owning and refining the strategic agenda for Estates people through delivery of the people and engagement strategy for Estates. Act as a role model for our estates and people strategy priorities.
• Work with Estates and Finance colleagues to reflect the requirements of the new model and strategy in the next SR bid, making a compelling business case for essential changes.
• Ensure the planning process docks effectively into the wider Estates Strategy and Corporate Transformation Business Plan so that it is deliverable and achievable.
• Lead on ad-hoc commissions from Government Property Agency, Departmental Planning Team, Corporate Transformation Group, Commercial and Finance Group, Business Strategy. Commissions include fiscal events, ongoing deliverability assessments ensuring continued alignment to the Estates Business Strategy and Operating Model.
• Lead and directly manage the team, building capabilities through providing developmental opportunities, including support for the DWP Strategy Community of Practice. Championing learning, development, and communications, and transferring skills to colleagues in order to build wider capability.
• Establish and maintain senior networks across Estates and wider DWP to establish effective working relationships and engagement.
• Lead on the Estates Communications Strategy and planning through subject experts within own team. Providing steers, support and feedback loops where required to ensure the Estates strategy is understood and embedded across Corporate Transformation Group and Estates Directorate.
• Responsible for designing, delivering, and evaluating workshops, including Senior Leadership Team strategy planning sessions, innovative approaches for strategy review, developmental events for the Full Estates Leadership Team.
• Maintain and review change impacting function and processes (i.e. Estates Front Door and change impacting, change criteria), providing strategic decisions where required.
• Provide review of strategic risks, evidence mitigation actions and issues ensuring the accurate development and oversight of the process. Applying DWP risk methodology, correctly escalating risks and actions where appropriate according to governance frameworks.
• Representing Estates SABO at senior and functional meetings within DWP (and across Government where appropriate).